Around the Middle
by Emmy Kay
Summary: A view of midlife Kakashi/Iruka.  Hints of Naruto/Hinata.


Title: Around the Middle

Claimer/Author: This story is written by and belongs to Emmy Kay.

Pairing: Iruka, Kakashi

Summary: Romance/Humor. A view of midlife Kakashi/Iruka. Naruto/Hinata.

Disclaimer: Naruto and all affiliated characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission and for personal/fan/nonprofit entertainment purposes only.

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><p>Note: fill for a prompt from the kakairu kink meme.<p>

_Prompt: I'd like a written work showing their relationship a couple of years down the road. I'm not looking for holy-crap-really-old-man-sex, but I would enjoy something centered around their mid to late forties._

_If possible it could be about them accessing how things like life in general plus their sex lives are different than how they were when they were younger. I'm a hopeless romantic, anything tender will make me a happy lady._

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><p>Kakashi grunted as he hitched up his pants, and then sucked in his gut to snap them shut. All those years of Iruka's homecooking were catching up to him. That, and the slower metabolism of a guy moving into his middle years. Dang it. Maybe he should try those elastic pants Iruka had been hinting at recently.<p>

"Maybe it's time you went to an elastic-waist," said an amused voice behind him.

He turned his head, noting that however much his metabolism had slowed down, Iruka still looked as trim as the day they had met. It was all the chasing after students that did it. Although that probably contributed to the threads of grey in the brown hair.

"Maybe it's time you stop making such fatty foods," said Kakashi, irritated at being caught squeezing into his clothes.

"Maybe you should stop eating so much," returned Iruka.

"Maybe you should shut – "

"Well, well, well – look at the time," Iruka said with a grin. "If we don't hurry, we're going to be late."

"Being late has never bothered me," muttered Kakashi. Slowly, purposefully, he wrapped his ankles and strapped his weapons holster onto his thigh. "How is it that we have spent twenty years together – "

"Twenty-four," corrected Iruka, absently.

"Twenty-four glorious, childless years, filled with sweaty, glistening, hollering, filthy, shameless man-sex and the antics of childless people – and yet we somehow have grandchildren?"

Iruka, cheeks burning with embarrassment, turned away from the gift he was wrapping and tilted his head in the direction of Hokage Tower. "You know."

Kakashi sighed. He did know.

"You even set them up, in your own way."

"I didn't know it would lead to this. I just thought it would shut him up for a minute."

Dang Naruto and his fearsome fertility. Hinata too, but it was harder to get worked up about her. After all, it's not like Hinata had to do very much. All she had to do was smile at Naruto and she wound up pregnant. It made Kakashi very glad that he himself wore a mask – alarmed at the prospect of what a kind look might do to Naruto.

Kakashi reconsidered. Maybe it _was_ all Hinata's fault. She smiled at Naruto a lot. She could have resorted to a mask years ago. A normal, reasonable person might have considered it. Then again, a normal, reasonable person would have considered four children enough. More than enough. But no, Naruto had to go and make twins this time.

Hell, a three-man genin team seemed overwhelming to Kakashi at times. And he didn't have to diaper all those bottoms.

Had Naruto even been in the village long enough between missions to father all those children? Of course, after being made Hokage, he was in the village a lot. And given Hinata's nature, they couldn't NOT be Naruto's children. Certainly, they all looked like him. It was enough to boggle the mind. Little Orphan Uzumaki, suddenly turning into the savior of Konoha and then setting about replenishing its population one baby - no, make that two babies - at a time.

Kakashi retrieved his vest. He found, to his increasing irritation, that he had a little trouble zipping it up. He sucked in again.

Iruka opened that smart mouth of his.

Kakashi held up a single finger in warning. "Not a word."

Iruka subsided, smirking.

Kakashi pulled his mask on, tied on his hitae-ate. He checked the mirror. He gave his hair a few extra swipes with the brush, wondering if he was starting to thin a little on top.

"You look great," Iruka said softly, coming by to slip an arm around Kakashi's troublesome mid-section.

In the mirror, Kakashi practiced a look. Hair was still messy, expression still bored and careless. Yep. It was all in place. After all, he had an image to maintain.

"You ready? Finally?"

"Finally," agreed Kakashi.

"Aren't you ever going to change? We're going to be late now," tsked Iruka, gently brushing a piece of lint off Kakashi's vest.

"It'll only be 30-40 minutes. I remember when I had those kids waiting hours - !"

"I don't like being late – " Iruka began as he went out the door, neatly wrapped gift in one hand.

Kakashi dashed back into the house.

"What is it now?" Iruka had turned half-way back. "We're never going to make it if you keep stalling."

"Nothing," Kakashi said, his eye curving in an insincere smile.

Iruka humphed, but kept walking.

Behind Iruka's back, Kakashi slipped a little orange book, much battered, into his back pocket. He would need something to read at the baby-shower. He'd been at enough of them to know. Plus, if Iruka found it…well, time had not changed his reaction to Kakashi's preferred choice of reading material. Nor had it changed how attractive Kakashi found Iruka's indignant flush upon discovery of said reading material. And the sensei still had a great ass.

Under his mask, Kakashi's mouth turned up into a predatory grin Iruka would have recognized from across a very large room.

"Are you coming?"

"Oh yes, sensei," Kakashi answered, hurrying to catch and hold Iruka's free hand.

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><p>Inspired by art of old!KakaIru. So cute. It just warmed me right up. Located on the Scarecrowanddolphin tumblr, August 20, 2011.<p>

Please let me know what you think. :)


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